Gary Marshall - Archaeologist
Buckinghamshire
Hampshire
Oxfordshire
BUCKINGHAMSHIRE
Bradenham Manor
Brick footings were found in several locations in the gardens at Bradenham Manor as a result of excavations associated with the restoration of the 17th-century gardens. A substantial brick footing was found in a trench measuring 5 x 2 metres at the base of the north-facing grass bank overlooking the Forecourt. This brick foundation is almost certainly the north wall of the mid 17th-century west range of the house.
Several fragments of what appear to be a moulded stone plinth associated with the wall were recovered during the excavation. This north range was probably demolished in the 18th century, leaving only five courses in-situ to act as a retaining wall for a grass terrace. Remnants of diagonally-set paving were found below the retaining wall, suggesting a formal walk along the south side of the Forecourt, perhaps leading to steps on the garden terrace.
On the main south lawn brick footings for what are thought to be garden walls were revealed by a small 1 metre square trench, dug to assess clear parch-marking on the west side of the main lawn. The existing lawn forms a level expanse of grass, separated from the lower lawn by a grass bank.
The garden walls revealed by the excavation probably date from the late 17th or early 18th century, suggesting that previously a much more formal enclosed garden landscape existed at Bradenham. Through various excavation and geophysics projects a picture is slowly developing about the earlier appearance of the formal garden landscape.
Northamptonshire Archaeology was contracted during 2003 to monitor excavations for laying irrigation pipes through the Wilderness Garden and across the main south lawn. The results proved to be somewhat surprising as only a single terrace wall was discovered between the main lawn and the lower lawn. A series of trial trenches proved more successful in locating the course of a gravel path laid over a brick base along the west edge of the lower lawn.
Stowe Gardens
Excavations around the Doric Arch by Northamptonshire Archaeology successfully managed to locate three brick and rubble stone bases for statues, which are known to have existed on either side of the garden temple. Potentially there are ten of these bases for Apollo and the Nine Muses, a statue group, which, according to 18th-century plans, were arranged as a horseshoe around the arch.
Unfortunately tracing the other seven bases has so far proved elusive, although the evidence is urgently needed for the restoration of the group, which is last shown on a plan of the 1790s. Flint cobbles and an early gravel surface were found on the east side of the arch during work to reduce the ground level around the building. These early surfaces actually exist below the level of the rubble stone base of the arch, suggesting that the rough rubble stone was exposed as a rustic feature of the building rather than being concealed by gravel.
Restoration of the Corinthian Arch at Stowe commenced during 2003. Samples were taken from the rafters, the timber construction of the arch and the brackets forming the cornice for dendrochronology dating. These have returned dates of 1765 and 1766, confirming the evidence from the 18th-century accounts at Stowe, which suggest that the arch was built between 1765 and 1767.
A military sword, probably of the early 19th century, was recovered from a void below the floor boards of the attic, together with a bone handled knife, a small auger, and several pieces of cloth. It is known that the Buckinghamshire Yeomanry used the field in front of the arch during the 19th century and this may partially explain the deposition of the sword within the building.
Other archaeological projects undertaken at Stowe during 2003 have included a geophysical survey of the Alchester-Towcester Roman road immediately to the north of the gardens.
This revealed a linear high resistance feature precisely on the line of the road as shown on the Ordnance Survey maps. Other projects have included excavations to locate the original paths around the Hermitage, excavations for electric cables at the two Boycott Pavilions and an excavation at the Queen’s Temple, which located one of the 18th-century gravel paths. Building recording was carried out at Home Farm when the south wall of one the early 19th-century cattle sheds had to be dismantled and rebuilt.
HAMPSHIRE
The Vyne
Excavations for laying electrical cables in the shrubbery gardens east of the house were recorded during 2003. No significant features were recorded, but previous topsoil was observed, suggesting that the level of the garden had been built up, probably in the 1860s when William Wiggett Chute recorded that he had re-deposited soil from excavations around the stable yard.
In the house, areas of brickwork exposed by the removal of plaster were recorded in the former kitchens and in an adjacent passage leading onto the south front. This exercise led to the discovery of several flush joints in the construction of the 17th-century wall, which had not previously been recorded.
Wessex Archaeology was commissioned to maintain a watching brief over the stable yard to the north of the house when excavations were carried out for burying new services. Three Tudor walls were revealed, one of these associated with a brick floor surface. This area was cleared in the latter part of the 17th century by Chaloner Chute to create the existing brewhouse, stables and barn (now demolished), therefore these walls are thought to relate to earlier buildings not previously recorded. Wessex Archaeology also maintained a watching brief over excavations in the walled gardens for laying an electrical cable.
- Find out more about the Vyne
OXFORDSHIRE
Greys Court
Samples taken for dendrochronology dating taken by the Oxfordshire Dendrochronology Laboratory at Greys Court have established a felling date of 1451 for the timbers of a jettied timber framed building, which forms the core of the present house. Sampling also gave felling dates of 1587 or 1588 for the timbers of Donkey Wheel House, 1578 for the timbers of the ‘Cromwellian’ stables and 1559 for the Keep Cottages.
The dating was undertaken as part of a major survey of the buildings carried out by English Heritage, which for the first time has managed to elucidate the complex phased history of this medieval fortified manor. The survey has also produced in a CAD environment detailed three-dimensional drawings of the Donkey Wheel House at Greys Court, showing the various elements in the construction of both the building and the wheel and lifting mechanism.
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